19 research outputs found
Gender, Religion, and In Vitro Fertilization
Since the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'testtube baby' in 1978, the new reproductive technologies (NRTs) have spread around the globe, reaching countries far from the technology-producing nations of the West. Perhaps nowhere is this globalization process more evident than in the nearly twenty nations of the Muslim Middle East, where in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres have opened in nations ranging from small, oil-rich Bahrain and Qatar to larger but less prosperous Morocco and Egypt. Egypt provides a particularly fascinating locus for investigation of this global transfer of NRTs because of its ironic position as one of the poor, 'overpopulated' Arab nations
Cross-border-assisted reproduction: a qualitative account of UK travellersâ experiences
Surveys on patientsâ experiences of cross-border fertility treatment have reported a range of positive and challenging features. However, the number of such studies is limited, and there is no detailed qualitative account of the experiences of UK patients who travel overseas for fertility treatment. The present study used a cross-sectional, qualitative design and in-depth interviews. Fifty-one participants (41 women and 10 men, representing 41 treatment âcasesâ) participated in semi-structured interviews. The experiences reported were broadly positive with a large proportion of participants (39 cases, 95%) citing a favourable overall experience with only two cases (5%) reporting a more negative experience. Thematic analysis revealed 6 major categories and 20 sub-categories, which described the positive and challenging aspects of cross-border fertility travel. The positive aspects were represented by the categories: âaccessâ, âcontrolâ and âcare and respectâ. The more challenging aspects were categorized as âlogistics and coordination of careâ, âuncertaintyâ and âcultural dissonanceâ. The study confirms findings from others that despite some challenges, there is a relatively high level of patient satisfaction with cross-border treatment with participants able to extend the boundaries of their fertility-seeking trajectories and in some cases, regain a sense of control over their treatment
The social construction of male infertility: a qualitative questionnaire study of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis
Although recent research has highlighted the distressing impact of infertility for men, fertility issues are still routinely seen as a 'women's issue' - even when male factor infertility is highlighted. This article reports findings from a qualitative questionnaire study focusing on a sample of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis; an under-researched and marginalised group in the context of reproductive medicine. Our analysis suggests that male factor infertility is viewed by men as a failure of masculinity, as stigmatising and silencing, and as an isolating and traumatic experience. It is also clear that these themes are shaped by wider societal discourses which present men as (unproblematically) fertile, uninvested in parenthood and stoic in their approach to emotional distress. Such norms also ensure that reproduction continues to be presented as a 'women's issue' which burdens women and marginalises men. In understanding male factor infertility experiences, the damaging nature of the social construction of male fertility is then more clearly illuminated
âWhat are you going to do, confiscate their passports?â Professional perspectives on cross-border reproductive travel
Objective: This article reports findings from a UK-based study which explored the phenomenon of overseas travel for fertility treatment. The first phase of this project aimed to explore how infertility clinicians and others professionally involved in fertility treatment understand the nature and consequences of cross-border reproductive travel. Background: There are indications that, for a variety of reasons, people from the UK are increasingly travelling across national borders to access assisted reproductive technologies. While research with patients is growing, little is known about how âfertility tourismâ is perceived by health professionals and others with a close association with infertility patients. Methods: Using an interpretivist approach, this exploratory research included focussed discussions with 20 people professionally knowledgeable about patients who had either been abroad or were considering having treatment outside the UK. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to a thematic analysis. Results: Three conceptual categories are developed from the data: âthe autonomous patientâ; âcross-border travel as riskâ, and âprofessional responsibilities in harm minimisationâ. Professionals construct nuanced, complex and sometimes contradictory narratives of the âfertility travellerâ, as vulnerable and knowledgeable; as engaged in risky behaviour and in its active minimisation. Conclusions: There is little support for the suggestion that states should seek to prevent cross-border treatment. Rather, an argument is made for less direct strategies to safeguard patient interests. Further research is required to assess the impact of professional views and actions on patient choices and patient experiences of treatment, before, during and after travelling abroad
Gender, Religion, and In Vitro Fertilization
Since the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'testtube baby' in 1978, the new reproductive technologies (NRTs) have spread around the globe, reaching countries far from the technology-producing nations of the West. Perhaps nowhere is this globalization process more evident than in the nearly twenty nations of the Muslim Middle East, where in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres have opened in nations ranging from small, oil-rich Bahrain and Qatar to larger but less prosperous Morocco and Egypt. Egypt provides a particularly fascinating locus for investigation of this global transfer of NRTs because of its ironic position as one of the poor, 'overpopulated' Arab nations
Assisted Conception and South Asian communities in the UK: pulic perceptions of the use of donor gametes in infertility treatment
This paper explores 'public' attitudes to the use of donated gametes in infertility treatment amongst members of British South Asian communities in the UK. The study included 14 single-sex focus groups with a total of 100 participants of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origins in three English cities and 20 individual semi-structured interviews with key informants. It explores five themes from the data: childlessness and stigma; using sperm and using eggs; cultural connections; choosing gametes; religion and the use of donated gametes; and disclosure and the management of information. The paper demonstrates that the socio-cultural context of fertility treatment is highly relevant and those delivering services and those consulting the public need to be aware of cultural and gender differences. Third party assisted conception represents a challenge to received ideas of identity and has implications for social reproduction and kinship which go well beyond immediate conjugal relationships.6 page(s
Initiating patient discussions about oocyte cryopreservation: Attitudes of obstetrics and gynaecology resident physicians
This study examined the attitudes of obstetrics and gynaecology (OB/GYN) resident physicians to initiating patient discussions regarding medical and elective oocyte cryopreservation (OC). The study used a cross-sectional online survey of OB/GYN medical residents in the USA, sampled from residency programmes approved by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education. In total, 208 medical residents, distributed evenly between postgraduate years 1â4, participated in the study. Residents' fertility knowledge and attitudes to initiating discussions about OC were gathered. Forty percent (nâŻ=âŻ83) believed that OB/GYN residents should initiate discussions about OC with patients (initiators), while 60% (nâŻ=âŻ125) did not (non-initiators). Initiators were less likely to overestimate the age at which a woman's fertility begins to decline, and were more likely to believe that discussions about OC and age-related fertility decline should take place during a well-woman annual examination. Initiators and non-initiators did not differ in their attitudes towards discussing OC with patients undergoing cancer treatments; however, initiators were significantly more likely to discuss elective OC with patients who were currently unpartnered or who wished to delay childbearing to pursue a career. Given the increasing age of childbearing among women, and the fact that women prefer to receive reproductive information from their healthcare providers, it is critical that such topics are discussed in consultations to assist patients in making more informed reproductive decisions. Further research is needed to assess the existing barriers to these discussions from both physician and patient perspectives. Keywords: oocyte cryopreservation, preconception counselling, fertility preservation, obstetrics, gynaecology, medical educatio